My new found fondness for orchids had me picking up a lone phalaenopsis at a nursery sale. To be honest, I never liked phalaenopsis orchids. Actually, I never liked orchids, period. The look of the flower just never appealed to me. That was until I bought a cymbidium orchid that I posted about a couple of months ago. I was attracted to the foliage of this kind the most which has a stunning cascade effect and the leaves just seem to keep growing. A nice orchid to have even when its not in bloom.
So, seeing this lonely orchid in among some of the more unusual species orchids, with its gorgeous white moth-like flowers and yellow and red markings, I just had to bring this orchid home. White flowers have a certain elegance to me whether they are house plants or plants in the garden, I think white is gorgeous.
I have set the plant on the landing at the top of the stairs under the skylight. It’s a bright location, but with no direct sunlight on the orchid. The right amount of light seems to make the blooms glisten. I think I now have a new love for orchids.
These seem to be the more popular variety of all the orchids for houseplants. Their thick leaves are so graceful and their long, arching sprays of large blooms add a bit of character to a room.
The cymbidium orchid is just foliage now and I’m wondering if I will ever be able to get it to bloom again. I’m not sure if it needs some rest before blooming again, cooler temps, warmer temps, more fertilizing/watering, none at all or something else I’m unaware of, but I hope I’ll get to see those beautiful blooms again. Same with my new phalaenopsis. I love that these blooms are supposed to stay for weeks on end, but I have no clue how long it has already been in bloom when I bought it. The bud at the end has just opened up so maybe the others were just days ahead. It would be a shame if my orchids never bloomed again. Time to read up on caring for orchids, I think.
